The objective of the present work was to evaluate the seed health and physiological quality of rice seeds with diferent vigour levels, cultivars BR-IRGA 409 and INEA YERBAL, submitted to the thermotherapy, with dry heat. The moisture content was reduced from 12,4 and 13,0% to 6,3%, and after the seeds were heated at 70°C for different times: zero, 05, 10, 15 and 20 days. Before treatments sanitary and physiological quality of the seeds was determined. It was evaluated the seed health, viability and vigour. They were evaluated by the use of the blotter test, the germination test, the germination first counting, cold test and seedling emergence. Based on the results obtained it was concluded that: 1) high vigour rice seeds, with moisture content small (6,3%), resist to 70oC/20 days without affect your physiological quality; 2) the thermotherapy with dry heat eliminated different fungi of the rice seeds in different times; 3) seed with moisture content around 1,0% don?t have their viability hindered, who submitted to the thermotherapy.